The arrests were part of an investigation by the Los Angeles Innocence Lost Task Force, comprised of the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security.

Thanks for your post about this article. Readers may or may not be aware why this crime is considered human trafficking, in addition to pimping and pandering. California Penal Code section 236.1(f) states that California’s definition of human trafficking in that section is the same as the federal definition of a severe form of human trafficking in Section 7102(8) of Title 22 of the United States Code. In the US code, severe human trafficking states that inducing ANY commercial sex act by a minor is defined as human trafficking. By including a charge of human trafficking, a number of increased penalties kick in, the underage victims can sue and get civil restitution from the traffickers, and other forms of rehabilitative assistance become available to the victims in a streamlined way.